ICYMI: Domain Improvements, More Reports, and a BFCM Update

Leading up to Black Friday Cyber Monday, we’re busy making improvements to Shopify and building new products to help you succeed, all while you’re busy getting your store ready for the holidays.

To make sure you don’t miss any important announcements, we’re introducing ICYMI (In Case You Missed It), a bi-weekly recap of all things Shopify, and bite-sized news to snack on in between shipping orders and sipping coffee.

In this first edition, we’re rounding up the top product news from the past couple of weeks, introducing some exciting improvements to reporting, payments, and domains, and giving you a snapshot of what’s happening in the world of commerce at large.

But first, coffee. And second, let us remind you: BFCM is less than 8 weeks away.

It might seem excessive to be talking about it now (look, I was as upset as the rest of you about seeing Halloween décor aisles in August), but it’s the busiest shopping weekend of the year, and we’re here to help make sure you’re prepared. I see you, procrastinators. 👀

Here’s what’s up at Shopify, in case you missed it:

Black Friday Cyber Monday Toolbox

Today, we launched the BFCM Toolbox, a hub for all of the tools and education you need to win BFCM this year. The site is divided into three sections to help you get set, get seen, and get selling.

Get Set: here you’ll find everything you need to help prep your store for BFCM, like improving your shipping flow and getting your finances in order.

Get Seen: this is your one-stop-shop for marketing your store as we head into the busiest shopping season of the year. Learn how to set up Kit to effortlessly run Facebook ads, and get real examples of BFCM email campaigns to inspire you.

Get Selling: sell more with tips and tactics from our experts and learn how sales channels like Amazon can help you drive more sales for BFCM

Our resources are designed for merchants just starting out and those looking to make this their biggest BFCM yet.

💡 BFCM Tip: 40% of customers begin researching and doing their holiday shopping as early as October (that’s now!), so begin planning campaigns at a high level and start communicating plans to your audiences and customers.

What’s New in Product

Domain Improvements

We’re rolling out features that let you easily manage your Shopify-purchased domain settings, including setting up Zoho and G Suite email accounts without leaving Shopify. As part of the improvements we’ve made to Shopify domains, we’ve also added the ability to easily change DNS settings and add subdomains.

More Reports for Basic Plans

We’re excited to announce that we’ve improved reporting for merchants on the Basic $29 Plan (and that’s a lot of you!) to give you a better understanding of your business, and ultimately drive more sales and traffic.

If you’re on the Basic $29 Plan, you now have access to eight new reports, including: Visitors Over Time, Visitors by Referrer, Top Online Store Searches, and Visitors by Marketing Campaign.

Improvements to Shopify Pay

Earlier this year, we released Shopify Pay, a simpler and faster way for customers to check out on your store. Now, we've made Shopify Pay even better. If a customer has used Shopify Pay on your store in the past, information from past purchases will automatically populate. This streamlined experience reduces friction and increases checkout completions.

Shopify Pay is available to every store using Shopify Payments, at no additional cost.

Section Visibility

This new feature allows you to hide sections of your theme without having to remove them. Hidden sections are still customizable without being visible to your customers. This is a great way to plan future updates to your store.

Try it: from the Theme Editor’s sidebar, use the toggle to show and hide sections.

September Product Recap

In September, we announced several exciting new products, ICYMI:

Amazon Expanded Categories: ten new categories were added to the Amazon channel, enabling more merchants to sell on Amazon with Shopify. New categories this week:

Jewelry

Shoes, Handbags and Sunglasses

Watches

Shopcodes: generate QR codes that take customers directly to a product page or even checkout.

Bulk Label Printing: We’ve improved Shopify Shipping for U.S. and Canadian merchants with Bulk Label Printing. Now, you can print multiple shipping labels at once, saving time and clicks.

Checkout with Phone: 54% of people use their phones to shop online. Allowing customers check out with their phone number (instead of email) makes buying easier. Checkout with Phone sends your customers order updates by SMS. Visit Checkout settings to enable Checkout with Phone.

Burst Integration: access 1000s of free professional stock photos for use in your store, without ever leaving Shopify. We’ve also recently launched a BFCM collection, with images designed to promote your deals. Visit your Theme Settings to try Burst now.

This Week in Commerce

As you grow your business and prepare for the holiday shopping season, it’s important that you stay on top of trends and news in the world of commerce. Shopify is continually evolving to bring you the products and features you need to meet the demands of an ever-changing industry.

"The winners of Shopify's Build a Bigger Business competition are eight of the fastest growing online retailers in the world. Their best advice is centered on increased self-awareness and is universally applicable."

"With immersive shopping experiences already here and around the corner, it's an exciting time to be a modern customer. Businesses will need to heed the trends in order to deliver experiences that will soon become the 'convenience' standard."

“A visual tour of how e-commerce and digitization might impact city streetscapes — for better or worse.”

Stay Social

Now that you’re all caught up on everything you need to run your business, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Connect with other entrepreneurs and stay motivated (and rested) through BFCM. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook to get daily tips, stories, and inspiration to keep you going.

Have BFCM questions, or big promotions to announce? Share them on social using #BFCMwin!

Please let us know your thoughts on this blog post format in the comments below. What would you like to see in future ICYMI roundups?

About the author

Dayna Winter

Dayna Winter is a Storyteller at Shopify, curious about the humans behind the brands and the moments that motivate them to create. She follows more dogs than humans on Instagram and isn't a real redhead.